Peace & Global Studies:Developing Active Peacemakers

Peace and Global Studies (PAGS) majors explore strategies for constructing a just and peaceful world. The goal of the program is to develop your competencies in fields contributing toward social transformation and peace.

PAGS is a rigourous major, but the challenge is invigorating! Our students are known for their serious work ethic combined with their unmatched senses of humor.

Our majors are also known as passionate campus activists. They’ve been involved include in the REInvestment Campaign to urge Earlham to divest from coal and petroleum extraction; and the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions movement, in support of Palestinian nonviolent resistance to occupation.

PAGS seniors research and design public presentations on the topic of their choice. Recent topics have been: “Race and the Prison-Industrial Complex,” “Whose Bodies Matter? Drone Warfare and Surveillance” and “Is Social Media a Game-Changer for Progressive Social Movements?”

Highlights

The program provides internships and study abroad programs where students can apply what they have learned to particular sites under the guidance of experienced organizers and activists.

Half of Earlham's record-setting six Fulbrights and Watson Fellowships in the 2013-14 academic year were PAGS majors.

PAGS graduates work around the globe. They are affiliated with non-governmental organizations, human rights groups, political campaigns, environmental organizations, alternative media, religious organizations and international agencies.

In the United States, they are employed as mediators, rights advocates, journalists, lobbyists, community organizers, doctors, lawyers, ministers, teachers and university professors.

Meet An Earlhamite

Student Plans Disaster Relief Nonprofit

Tyrian Robertson ’17 sees how the broader world is at work in her life and is inspired to use her skills and abilities to benefit others.
After graduation, Robertson hopes to start a nonprofit that helps areas recover from natural disasters.

Abbe Miller ’13 presented her research at the DePauw University Undergraduate Ethics Symposium on April 11-13, 2013. Miller’s paper, “Nomadic Ethics: Addressing the For Profit Immigrant Prison System,” was chosen from submissions by students at leading colleges across the United States.

General Education Requirements

Some of the courses that are part of the Peace and Global Studies curriculum fulfill General Education Requirements.

The Major

Students who wish to major in Peace and Global Studies must take six core courses, as well as a minimum of three courses in one of four areas of concentration.

Core Courses

Six core courses are required:

Two of the following three courses:

PAGS 100 Introduction to Economics

PAGS 111 Introduction to Politics

PAGS 170 Introduction to Diplomacy

PAGS 240 Global Dynamics and World Peace

PAGS 481 Internship

PAGS 486 Senior Research Methods

PAGS 488 Senior Capstone Experience

The Four Areas of Concentration:

A minimum of three courses in one of four areas of concentration is required:

1. Religious Pacifism

*At least three of the following clustered courses:

REL 330 Criminal Justice and Moral Vision

PAGS 343 Conflict Resolution

REL 425 Religious Responses to War and Violence

2. Law & Justice

*At least 3 of the following clustered courses:

PAGS 343 Conflict Resolution

PAGS 371 Theories of International Relations

PAGS 372 International Law: Sovereignty, Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

PAGS 373 International Law: Environment and Development

3. Praxis

*At least 3 of the following clustered courses:

PAGS 315 Marxism

PAGS 343 Conflict Resolution

PAGS 345 Urban Political Economy

PAGS 353 Latin America to 1825

PAGS 354 Latin America Since 1825

PAGS 374 Methods of Peacemaking

4. “Fourth Generation” Peace Studies

*At least 3 of the following clustered courses:

PAGS 315 Marxism

PAGS 330 Postcolonial Theory

PAGS 341 Contemporary Social Thought

PAGS 370 Philosophy of Social Science

PAGS 371 Theories of International Relations

PAGS 374 Methods of Peacemaking

*Other courses not currently listed might also count as contributing to each concentration; consult directly with the Director of PAGS

Courses

* Key

Courses that fulfill General Education Requirements:

(A-AR) = Analytical - Abstract Reasoning

(A-QR) = Analytical - Quantitative

(D-D) = Diversity - Domestic

(D-I) = Diversity - International

(D-L) = Diversity - Language

(ES) = Earlham Seminar

(IE) = Immersive Experience

(RCH) = Research

(W) = Wellness

(WI) = Writing Intensive

(AY) = Offered in Alternative Year

*PAGS 100 INTRODUCTION TO ECONOMICS(3 credits)This course introduces students to the 'economic way of thinking.' It focuses on micro and macro issues and attempts to give the student a way to apply these concepts in different historical, political, social, global and ethical contexts. Macroeconomic topics include aggregate economic measures, income determination and macro policy. Micro topics include marginal and cost-benefit analysis as applied to consumers and firms, market structures, income distribution, market failures and the role of the state in a micro context. Also listed as ECON 100, INST 100 and MGMT 100. (A-AR)

PAGS 111 INTRODUCTION TO POLITICS(3 credits) This broad introductory course launches the formal study of Politics at the college level, exploring the distinct yet complementary subfields of the discipline, most importantly Political Theory, Comparative Politics, American Politics and International Relations. Students in this course, no matter what subfield interests them most, begin to address enduring questions about global phenomena with both theoretical practical implications. Students also will practice research and writing skills, and engage in political debates about questions both historical and contemporary. This course is a pre-requisite for upper division work in the Politics major and serves as a gateway to those interested in International Studies, PAGS and environmental policy work. Also listed as INST 111 and POLS 111.

*PAGS 170 INTRODUCTION TO DIPLOMACY (3 credits) An experiential course that examines political, economic and social issues in world politics by simulating the work of states in U.N. committees and organizations. Students serve as delegates to a regional Model UN. Scholarly readings on the practice of diplomacy. Also listed as POLS 170. (D-I)

*PAGS 240 GLOBAL DYNAMICS AND WORLD PEACE(4 credits) Builds upon the introductory sequence in PAGS and addresses the question of how to define what constitutes "peace," whether and how sustainable peace might be possible, and how to best contribute to peacebuilding efforts. Uses a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary lenses to explore the root causes of various forms of violence, including war, terrorism, ecological destruction and poverty, and in what ways these forms of violence are related. Prerequisite: At least two of the following courses: PAGS 101, 111; or consent of the instructor. (D-I)

*PAGS 303 HUMAN RIGHTS IN THE MUSLIM WORLD(4 credits)This course is motivated by several questions to which students will be trusted to develop their own answers. Questions include: What is Islam? What are human rights? How do Muslims embody human rights? How much variation is there in how Muslims articulate and enact human rights? Prerequisite: POLS 111 and ES 150. Also listed as POL 303 and REL 303. (WI)

PAGS 310 SURVEILLANCE AND SOCIETY(4 credits)Examining the intersection of recent digital technologies and an intensifying social gaze on individuals, populations, spaces and activities, this seminar focuses on behavior as monitored. The course considers how surveillance practices serve as insturments of social political discipline, market competition, knowledge circulation, risk reduction, social sorting and resource management, as well as fostering new forms of social participation and individual expression. Prerequisites: Sophomore standing and one SOAN course, or consent of the instructor. Also listed as SOAN 310.

PAGS 315 MARXISM(4 credits) An examination of the Marxist intellectual tradition with heavy emphasis on the writings of Marx himself. Examines Marx's critique of human alienation and capitalism, including an analysis of his work, Capital. Looks at how later Marxists, and critics of capitalism generally, have used, criticized and reworked elements of the Marxian analysis to continue developing contemporary conceptions of a non-capitalist or classless society. Prerequisite: ECON 101 or 103. Also listed as ECON 315. (AY)

*PAGS 330 POSTCOLONIAL THEORY(4 credits) A study of selected topics in Postcolonial Theory. Investigates the philosophical presuppositions of these topics and the relationship between modern philosophy and European Colonialism. Prerequisite: An Interpretive Practices course or consent of the instructor. Also listed as FILM 330 and PHIL 330. (WI, D-I) (AY)

*PAGS 331 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND MORAL VISION(4 credits) A critical examination of the social functions and theories of contemporary criminal justice in the United States. Special attention to the collateral social consequences of the "prison industrial complex," paramilitary policing and the death penalty. Fosters moral interpretations that contribute to popular movements for positive change. Prerequisites: An Earlham Seminar and an Interpretive Practices course. Also listed as AAAS 330 and REG 330. (D-D) (AY)

*PAGS 333 MEDICAL ANTHROPOLOGY AND GLOBAL HEALTH(3 credits)This course critically explores the intersection of medical anthropology, public health, clinical medicine, and local beliefs and practices in emerging regimes of global health. Drawing primarily on ethnographic case studies, the class considers how practices, technologies, and institutions of biomedicine engage established and emerging local ones. In particular, students will examine how inequalities of social power influence the circulation of biomedicine, the practice of humanitarian care, and the experience of health, illness and healing. A core focus is to evaluate the complex impacts and outcomes of medical and public health interventions. Prerequisite: Sophomore standing. Also listed as SOAN 333. (D-I)

PAGS 341 CONTEMPORARY SOCIAL THOUGHT(4 credits) Explores emerging trends in social theory and their relation to classical theory. Each year emphasizes a different problem such as power, culture, structure and agency, or determinism and anti-essentialism. Readings and discussion focus on developing the students’ ability to recognize subtle differences that define theoretical perspective. Also listed as SOAN 341.

*PAGS 343 CONFLICT RESOLUTION(3 credits) Examines the problem of conflict in social theory and practice. Readings introduce types of alternative dispute resolution. Students practice mediation and negotiation skills through simulated conflicts. Race, class and gender perspectives are presented in class activities, readings and films. Also listed as MGMT 343. (D-D)

PAGS 344 DIPLOMATIC HISTORY: THE COLD WAR(3 credits) Examines the agents and structures that shaped world politics between the end of World War II and the collapse of the Soviet Union concurrent with the Gulf War. Were these five decades "a long peace" or a period of unprecedented violence in world history? Issues and themes include socialist internationalism, McCarthyism, human rights, decolonization, national liberation movements, proxy wars, the nuclear arms race, perestroika and the New World Order. Also listed as HIST 344. (AY)

*PAGS 345 URBAN POLITICAL ECONOMY(4 credits) A look at the political and economic processes that shape the uses of urban space. Attention to the rise of suburbanization in the United States and the problems of urban poverty, race and class segregation associated with it. Examines historical analysis and issues relating to the "revitalization" of older urban centers. Prerequisite: ECON 101 or 103. Also listed as ECON 345. (D-D)

*PAGS 353 LATIN AMERICA TO 1825(4 credits) Examines the origin and development of Latin American civilization, with particular attention to the European Conquest and its effect on Native Americans; and the origin and development of colonial institutions and conditions which led finally to the demise of the colonial system. Also listed as HIST 353 and LTST 353. (D-I) (AY)

*PAGS 354 LATIN AMERICA SINCE 1825(4 credits) Emphasizes the 20th century, examining particularly patterns of modernization, development and resistance. Sources include literature, religion and popular culture. Also listed as HIST 354 and LTST 354. (D-I) (AY)

PAGS 360 WORLD FAITHS, WORLD NEWS(4 credits) Considers the religious aspects of crucial current events, explores emerging religious movements, analyzes ongoing developments within religious groups world-wide, and tries to make (some) sense of it all. Topics typically include: cyber-ethics, fundamentalism, religious pluralism, liberation theologies, post-modern critiques of religion and New Religious Movements. Required of Religion majors. Prerequisite: Coursework or experience in Religion, Peace and Global Studies, Politics, Journalism, or activism with consent of the instructor. Also listed as REL 360.

PAGS 364 POWER, POLITICS, THEORY(3 credits) This course surveys the classical texts and themes of political theory. Students will read selections of both the Western and Eastern canonical works in order to investigate a wide range of issues related to politics — power, state, citizen, justice, community, identity, rights, liberty, etc. Prerequisite: POLS 111. Also listed as INST 364 and POLS 364.

PAGS 370 PHILOSOPHY OF SOCIAL SCIENCE(3 credits) Investigates the philosophical foundations of the social sciences. Introduces students to questions of theory; research method; interpretation; ideology; the intersection of subjectivity, modern society and the Social Sciences; and ethics. Prerequisites: Previous study in Social Sciences or Philosophy and consent of the instructor. Also listed as PHIL 370.

*PAGS 371 THEORIES OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS(4 credits)Examines classics, trends and innovations in empirical and normative theories of international relations, from Thucydides and Machiavelli to Galtung and beyond. Reading and writing intensive. Provides opportunities for students to apply theoretical perspectives to problems and issues of particular salience to them (e.g. questions raised by off-campus study). Designed for juniors and seniors. Prerequisite: PAGS 111 or consent of the instructor. Also listed as INST 371 and POLS 371. (D-I) (AY)

*PAGS 372 INTERNATIONAL LAW: SOVEREIGNTY, HUMANITARIAN LAW AND HUMAN RIGHTS(4 credits) Surveys concepts and theories of international law and treaty interpretation, focusing on problems of the international law of war and peace (international humanitarian law), and questions of socio-political justice (human rights). Prerequisites: PAGS 111 or consent of the instructor. Also listed as POLS 372. (D-I) (AY)

*PAGS 373 INTERNATIONAL LAW: ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT(4 credits)Surveys concepts and theories of international law focusing on environmental problems and policy-making in the global arena. Topics include the emergence of “the environment” as a global issue, the history of international principles of sustainable development, managing global common property resources, and the human rights consequences of environmental degradation. Prerequisite: POLS 170. Also listed as ENST 373 and POLS 373. (D-I) (AY)

*PAGS 374 METHODS OF PEACEMAKING(4 credits) A practical course teaching methods for community organizing through interaction with Richmond community groups and educational centers. Analyzes influence of national and international popular culture within Richmond. Prerequisite: PAGS 330 or 370 or consent of the instructor. (D-D)

*PAGS 375 TOPICS IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS(3 credits) Offers an in-depth study of a current controversy or theoretical problem in IR. Past topics have included feminist theories of IR, the Bomb, and the Responsibility to Protect. Prerequisite: An Interpretive Practices course or consent of the instructor. Also listed as POLS 375. (WI)

PAGS 484 FORD/KNIGHT RESEARCH PROJECT(1-4 credits) Collaborative research with faculty funded by the Ford/Knight Program.

PAGS 485 INDEPENDENT STUDY(1-3 credits) An investigation of a specific topic conceived and planned by the student in consultation with a faculty adviser. Intended for an advanced student.

PAGS 486 SENIOR RESEARCH METHODS(3 credits) In this student-led course, PAGS seniors choose a topic to research for a semester and present their results at a community-wide event. Recent topics have included labor organization in a post-globaliation era and peace communities in Colombia.

PAGS 488 SENIOR CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE(4 credits) Focuses on an integrative writing project. Provides a setting in which majors can draw together what they have learned in all of their courses and off-campus experiences.

Earlham College, an independent, residential college, aspires to provide the highest-quality undergraduate education in the liberal arts, including the sciences, shaped by the distinctive perspectives of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).